As a mom, I know firsthand how difficult it can be to tear my kids away from their screens. Whether it's their tablets or video games, the draw to be plugged in is real. As working parents, we also dedicate a lot of time to looking at our own screens and it takes a toll. Whether it's a weekend getaway or a cross-country adventure, with a bit of planning and preparation, we can spend quality time playing games, telling stories, and exploring the world around us without the constant lure of screens.
Here are some of my experiences and tips for planning a successful screen-free or screen-light road trip with kids:
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Prepare - Not every trip is created equally! I encourage you to take a minute and think through the logistics of your drive before you decide how much, or how little, screen time to plan. Here are the questions I run through before every car trip as a family:
- How long is your drive? Is it a two-hour drive to Wisconsin or are you about to embark on a cross-country drive to see your cousin in California?
- What is the kid-to-parent ratio for the trip? When I am on long drives with our kiddos and don't have a spare set of arms and eyes to safely assist the backseat passengers, it changes how I pack the space around the kids.
When planning activities for a trip, you can spend a small fortune and easily fill up the backseat with activities and toys specifically created and marketed for travel, but I bet if you spent a little time going through your own collection of toys and activities at home you may be able to keep everyone happy on the longest of rides. I often find that the forgotten things, hanging around the bottom edges of the toy box, are often the most cherished and appreciated by traveling kids. Here are some of our favorite boredom busters from over the years:
Games/Activities
- Free Drawing and Pen & Paper Games are a staple in our backseat! First, I love a good old-fashioned pencil pouch to contain pencils, pens, crayons - whatever drawing tools your kids prefer. I suggest using either a spiral notebook or a clipboard with a pad of drawing paper, so kids can have a hard surface no matter what type of seat they are riding in and they take up minimal space, fitting into a seat pocket often. You can easily expand the versatility by purchasing a dry-erase sticker to adhere to the back of the hard surface and tossing a few dry-erase markers into the pencil pouch. This is great for games like tic tac toe, dots & boxes, word ladder, Pictionary, or Spaceman. (HINT: Dry-erase markers can also be used on car windows and don't toss those socks who have lost their mates - they make great erasers!)
- Family Games are a great way to bring the whole car together for a little fun to pass the time. These are games such as:
- "I'm Going on Vacation" in which the first person starts off by stating "I'm going on vacation and I am bringing a ...." and names something that begins with the letter A. The next person will then say, "I'm going on a vacation and I am bringing ..." naming something that begins with the letter B and then the A item previously mentioned. The goal is to make it through the entire alphabet without messing up or getting stumped on a turn.
- License Plate Game probably has several variations on how to play and that's probably what makes it so popular. In our version, we keep an eye out for how many license plates we can find from states other than the one we are currently driving through and then we have to say one thing we know about that state. This is a great way to practice state capitals, landmarks, monuments and geographical landforms, and bodies of water. What I like about this game is that it isn't played in a defined amount of time and can be paused and resumed as you drive.
- The Alphabet Game starts off with the first player saying something they see that starts with the letter A, then each person takes a turn moving through the alphabet letter by letter. This is another game that can be played during the duration of the drive, pausing and playing as you go.
- The Question Game is one we play as a family even at home, especially when we have family, or friends, visiting us! The game is simple. The first person asks an open-ended question and everyone else takes turns answering. Need some inspiration to get you started? Here are 20 Open-Ended Questions to get you rolling!
- I Spy is a great game to play on the go, but sometimes you need to remind kids to try and pick things outside of the car and up ahead so others have time to spot it.
- Once Upon a Time is a storytelling game where one person begins a story by saying "Once Upon a Time" and then complete the sentence by introducing the group to a place or person. Each person then takes a turn adding a sentence or two to until the story is complete. A lot of times these stories are utterly ridiculous and nonsensical, but if you keep playing eventually you may just end up with a gem of a tale!
Podcasts
- My husband has been a fan of podcasts for years, but as a family, these are relatively new to us now that our kids are both old enough to listen to and appreciate them. Here are a few of our recommendations:
- Smash Boom Best is probably one of our favorite podcasts! Each episode takes two ideas and they are debated to determine which is the best. Examples are Mustard vs Mayo, Sneezing vs Farting, Dogs vs Cats, and Rollercoasters vs Mini Golf. The debates are humorous and informative and we often find ourselves pausing to have our own debates about the topics. This podcast is from the same people who create the next one on our list:
- Brains On! starts each episode with a question, such as "Why do dogs wag their tails?" or "Why are butts and poop so funny?" and "Where do accents come from?" This science-based podcast may have been created with kids in mind, but I have definitely picked up some knowledge myself while listening.
- The Past & the Curious is a history podcast that covers a vast range of people and events throughout time. Some favorite episodes include "More Accidents, More Toys" which talks about how Silly Putty came to be, and "Roller Skates and Atomic Power" which introduces us to John Joseph Merlin and A.C. Gilbert who are responsible for so many things we enjoy today.
- Circle Round is a story-telling podcast that features folktales from around the globe and is told by actors (probably only known to adults). Each story is about 10-20 minutes in length, rich in music and sounds, and includes an activity to inspire conversation as a family afterward.
- Saturday Morning Cereal Bowl is all about music for kids. Hold on! Don't start thinking "Ugh. Kid music?" because this is more "music kids will enjoy by artists parents like too". Each episode features a variety of songs in two 1-hour segments. I love this one for the mix of kid and parent-pleasing music without having to hear Baby Shark once.
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Audiobooks are another option that can be enjoyed one-on-one or by the whole family. Usually, if we are all going to listen we will opt for either a "classic" story, a collection of short stories, or something that aligns with our travel destination.
- If you are searching for a book that aligns with your travels, then check out this list of books for each state. I also recommend checking out the "Find Your Book" tool on the National Education Association's website. If your car has a CD player, you can also find books and cd combos at the library which are GREAT for emerging readers.
- Classic stories we have enjoyed include Swiss Family Robinson, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, The Mouse and the Motorcycle, and the Chronicles of Narnia.
- If you are searching for collections of short stories Disney has plenty, but we have also enjoyed a collection called Favorite Children's Stories Volumes 1-4 which offers a variety of fables and fairy tales to enjoy.
Quiet Toys are where the forgotten depths of your toy bins and baskets usually pay off. That fidget spinner from a class party two years ago, an Etch-A-Sketch from when the kids were younger, toy binoculars and other toys get new appreciation when they make an appearance in the car. We also each bring something to read and an absolute favorite to bring along in the car are some old US Road Atlases I found at a garage sale years ago. My kids love trying to follow along the route and reading the facts that are sometimes sprinkled throughout an atlas.
The Sound of Silence is definitely the one thing that needed the most practice for our crew, but it was born out of necessity. Both of our kids have been known to suffer from getting car sick. We quickly realized that screen time and reading make the feeling worse, so sometimes sitting silently and enjoying the ride is the best option. There are a lot of benefits to learning to embrace silence, especially at a young age. You can increase your self-awareness by tuning in to your own thoughts and feelings and silence can also help improve your concentration, listening skills and reduce stress. In a world that can often be overstimulating with a steady stream of information being forced onto us at work, school and home the sound of silence can be a welcome reprieve.
Travel can be stressful, especially road trips with kids, but with a little planning they can be a great way to explore new places and build connections with your family.
